Game apparatus



' C. E. BEDAUX GAME APPARATUS Filed April 14 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 1924- 1,520,743

c. E. BEDAUX GAME APPARATUS Filed April 14, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 30, 1924 UNITED t'l'A'iES PATENT {H m-t3? CHARLES E. BEDA'UX, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

GAME APPARATUS. J

Application filed April T (ZZZ who-m it may concern Be it known that I, CriAnLEs E. BEDAUX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to game apparatus; and its object is to provide apparatus whereby a game requiring skill may be played.

This object is attained by, and the invention finds preferable embodiment in, the game apparatus hereinafter particularly described in the body of this specification and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 'is a view of game apparatus partly in plan and partly in longitudinal section taken on a horizontal plane corresponding to line 1-1 of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, the table portion thereof being sectioned on a vertical plane corresponding to line 2-2 of Figure 1 and the parts above the table portion being sectioned on a vertical plane corresponding to line II-II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of parts of the same taken on a vertical plane corresponding to line 33 of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4: is a like view of parts of the same taken on a vertical plane corresponding to line 4-4 of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 5 is a sectional enlarged view of certain parts taken on vertical planes corresponding to line 5--5 of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a top plan enlarged view of certain parts.

In the embodiment of the invention chosen for illustration by the drawings and for detailed description in the body of this specification, my game apparatus comprises a horizontally disposed table portion 1 preferably about twelve feet long (in the longitudinal direction of Figures 1 and 2) and wide enough (transversely to said direction) to accommodate the apparatus to a number of players, as for instance twelve players, in which case the table is preferably about twelve feet wide. Adjacent one end of the table is positioned the principal part of the several mechanisms whereby the game is played on the table, one such mechanism being provided for each player, such plurality 1922. Serial No. 552,702.

of like mechanisms being disposed side by side, only one of the several mechanisms however being illustrated. Each of said several mechanisms comprises: A projector 2, for projecting the projectile 3 along the table s surface toward the right hand side of Fig ures 1 and 2, is horizontally-slidably carried by its rods 4 (four rods being shown) slidably bearing in tubular guides 5 fixed in the rear wall 6 of the stall or box 7 supported on the table. Coiled springs 8 surrounding these guides and rods serve to urge the projector in its operative movement. A plate 9 is freely slidably mounted on these guides 5 between the springs 8 and means for increasingly tensioning such springs, said means comprising a member 19 having an arm 10 (or plurality of such arms angularly disposed as shown) turnably mounted on a spindle 11 and having a lug 12, and an elementthe pulley 13turnably mounted on said spindle and having a lug 14 adapted by the turning of said element to engage the lug 12 and thus turn with it the member 19 and its arm 107 This pulley 13 may be turned by suitable means as by the pulley 15, which with the pulley 13 carries a belt 16, the pulley 15 being on the long shaft 17 extending to the front end of the table-the right hand side of Figures 1 and 2where it may be rotated by its crank wheel 18.

In playing the game, the players stand at the front end of the table-the right hand side of Figures 1 and 2and the attendant stands at the opposite end, behind the stalls or boxes 7. The attendant draws the projectors of the several mechanisms toward him as by their handles 20 extending through slots 21 in the sides 22 of the respective stalls or boxes, until the projectors are held by their keepers 28 engaging the upwardly spring-pressed catches 24. The projectiles 3 preferably in the form of horses and jockeys mounted thereon as shown are placed in the stalls respectively and the doors 25 thereof are closed. Each player now turns the shaft 17 which through the lug 14 of the element 13 engaging the lug 12 of the member 19 turns said member, an arm 10 thereof pressing by its friction roll 26 against the rear side of the plate 9 thus increasingly tensioning the springs 8 against the projector held by the catch 24. It is evident that as soon as the arms roll 26 passes a horizonal line extending through the axis of the member 19 the compressed springs will. quickly press the plate 9 rearwardly thus releasing the tension of the springs. For the purpose hereinafter explained the object of each player is to tension the springs 8 to the utmost degree of their compression predetermined by the limit of approach of the plate 9 to the projector 2 and to stop short of turning the arm 10 beyond said horizontal line. The attendant now unlocks the doors permitting them to open, by raising the handle 28 of the lever 29 whose inner end is connected to the catch 30 and thereupon. at a given signal each player draws the rod or cord 31 to release the catch 24L from the keeper 23 of the projector which thus released is sprung forward by the springs 8 and projects the projectile toward the players that projectile which is thrown furthest winning the game or play. It will be seen that that player, the springs 8 of whose playing mechanism are under the greatest degree of tension prior to his drawing his rod or cord 31, wins the play.

Gearing may manifestly be interposed between the two portions 17 and 17 of the shaft 17 so that when the hand wheel portion 17 of the shaft turns about six times the rear portion 17? of the shaft turns only once.

The projectile 3 may be moved rearwardly' against the projector when held by its catch 24, as by the rod 35 having a portion 36 extending through the slot 37 in the table and adapted'to engage the projectile, said rod being slidable along a guide 38 below the table and being adapted to be raised through said slot in its operative movement.

Springs throw open the doors 25 when the catch 80 is released.

The invention being intended to be pointed out in the claims, is not to be limited to or by details of construction of the particular embodiment thereof illustratedby the drawings or hereinbefore described.

I claim:

1. In game apparatus; a projectile; a projector therefor releasably held against operative movement; a spring pressing the projector in its operative movement; a turnably mounted arm adapted to be turned to increasingly tension the spring and freely "turnable by the spring to release the same from a predetermined tension; a turnably mounted element adapted to engage the arm and turn the same in its spring-tensioning movement.

2. In game apparatus; "a projectile; a projector therefor releasably held against operative movement; a spring pressing the projector in its operative movement; a turnably mounted arm having a lug and adapted to be turned to increasingly tension'the spring and being freely turnable by the spring to release the same from predetermined tension; an element turnably mounted concentrically with the arm and having lug adapted to engage the arms lug to turn the arm in its spring-tensioning movement.

3. In game apparatus; a table; a projectile; a projector therefor; a catch for releasably holding the projector against operative movement; means for releasing the catch; a freely slidable plate; a spring intermediate the projector and the plate and tensioned by their approaching movement; a turnably mounted arm having a lug and adapted to be turned to abut the plate and move it in spring-tensioning direction and being freely turnable to release the'spring from a predetermined tension; an element turnably mounted concentrically with the arm and having a lug adapted to engage the arms lug to turn'the arm in its spring-tensioning movement. p j

4. In game apparatus; a table having a slot; a projectile; a longitudinally movable rod having a portion extending through said slot adapted to engage the projectile to move the same; aprojector for the projectile releasably I held against operative movement; a spring pressing the projector in its operative movement; means for increasingly tensioning the spring and' for releasing the same from a predetermined tension.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at New York, N. Y., this 6th day of April, 1922.

CHARLES E. BEDAUX. Witnesses:

A. V. Gone, E. B. SPRANKLE. 

